Apeejay announces 5th Kolkata literary fest

Apeejay Surrendra Group and Oxford Bookstores on Tuesday announced the fifth edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, 2014 (AKLF 2014) to be hosted in Kolkata from January 8-13, 2014.

The literary forum is extended over a period of six days this year.

Among other themes, AKLF 2014 will pay tribute to India's first education minister, writer and scholar Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on his 125th birth anniversary and focus on values and literary concerns dear to his heart.

The festival motif this year highlights the 'white lotus', representing knowledge and enlightenment, and the 'fish' which is identified with the city and its bond with the festival. The festival's integral concept underlines the city's culture and tradition with heritage sites playing a key role.

Some of the festival sites for this edition are Victoria Memorial, Town Hall, St. John's Anglican Church and Tollygunge Club.

The festival will witness participants from Europe - France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and the UK. Other writers reflect cultures like Egypt, China, Ghana and neighbours Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

Priti Paul, Director Apeejay Surrendra Group said "The Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival has pitch forked many new ideas and concerns into the spotlight, supported talented new writers, expanded its reach to new audiences, brought many different voices onto the same platform, made them all heard and brought vigor and debate about ideas and the written word. I am delighted to see AKLF evolve to take a greater national character in just four years. We have great and discerning partners onboard, events held in public and heritage spaces with open access to people from all walks of life and interests, a treasure in store for 6 days in January 2014."

Maina Bhagat, Director, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival - said, "This year we aim to make the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, 2014 a significant platform to revive the importance of education which is crucial for the growth of new literature and creating a future generation of authors, with the 125th birth centenary of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad as the core theme."

Anjum Katyal, Director, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, said on the occasion, "With our carefully curated and thought provoking programmes we wish to reflect the true essence of our city's diverse sense of culture, ideas and artistic expression. We yet again welcome the city's book lovers who have supported Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival over the years."

Continuing with tradition, the inaugural event of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2014 will be hosted in the Victoria Memorial, commencing with a tribute to 'Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on his 125th birth anniversary' by Indian icon Aamir Khan, highlighting the ideals and values of the national leader and scholar.

For the first time in the city, British author and playwright Farrukh Dhondy and former BBC journalist and author Sir Mark Tully will be seen in conversation on the subject 'The Raj Revisited' - a fitting subject considering how European influences played a part in the development of the city's character.